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Privacy Policy

Effective Date: January 1, 2025

Notary Gig Harbor ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website at https://notarygigharbor.com or engage our notary services.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

When you contact us, book an appointment, or use our services, we may collect:

  • Contact information: Name, email address, phone number, and mailing address
  • Appointment details: Preferred dates, times, service type, and meeting location
  • Identification information: We view government-issued photo ID solely to verify signer identity as required by law. We do not retain copies of your identification unless required for a specific notarial act.
  • Notarial journal entries: As required by Washington state law (RCW 42.45.180), we maintain a journal of every notarial act performed, including the date, type of act, document type, and signer identification method.
  • Communication records: Phone calls, emails, and text messages related to scheduling and service delivery

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect standard web analytics data to understand how visitors find and use our site, improve our content for the Gig Harbor and South Sound community, and protect against fraud and abuse. This includes:

  • Network information: IP address, internet service provider, and approximate geographic location (city/region level) derived from your IP address
  • Device information: Device type, operating system, browser, screen size, viewport size, language preference, and time zone
  • Visit information: Pages visited, referring website or search engine, date and time of visit, and approximate page load performance

We use this information solely to operate and improve this website. We do not sell visitor data, share it with advertising networks, or use it for behavioral advertising. Approximate location is derived from your IP address using a standard geolocation lookup; we do not request or use precise device location (GPS).

Our website may also use third-party analytics services such as Google Analytics 4 (with IP anonymization enabled), Microsoft Clarity, and Meta Pixel where deployed, subject to those providers' privacy policies.

Cookies

Our website uses essential cookies required for the website to function properly (such as form submission tokens and view-transition state). Where analytics services are deployed, those services may set their own cookies in accordance with their respective privacy policies.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Schedule and perform notary services you have requested
  • Communicate with you about your appointments and services
  • Maintain notarial journals as required by Washington state law
  • Process payments for services rendered
  • Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
  • Comply with legal obligations and regulatory requirements
  • Improve our website and service quality

How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share information only in the following circumstances:

  • Legal requirements: When required by law, subpoena, court order, or regulatory request
  • Service delivery: With title companies, lenders, or other parties directly involved in the transaction you have engaged us for, and only to the extent necessary to complete the service
  • Payment processing: With payment processors to handle your payments securely
  • Professional obligations: With the Washington Secretary of State or other regulatory bodies as required by notary law

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected:

  • Notarial journal records: Retained for 10 years from the date of the notarial act, as recommended by the National Notary Association and consistent with Washington state requirements
  • Contact and appointment information: Retained for up to 2 years after your last service engagement
  • Contact form submissions: Retained for up to 1 year
  • Payment records: Retained as required by tax law (typically 7 years)

Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information. This includes encrypted communications (our website uses HTTPS), secure document storage, and limited access controls. While no method of electronic storage is 100% secure, we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
  • Correction: Request that we correct any inaccurate information
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements
  • Opt-out: Unsubscribe from any marketing communications (though we do not currently send marketing emails)

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the information below.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. Notarizations involving minors are handled through their parent or legal guardian.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, contact us: